Burundi Steïphenson Black - Burundi Black (Barclay - 1971)

Already published on several blogs, this song, often sampled, is the story of a big rip off. An percussion orchestra of 25 Burundian musicians were recorded in Africa for French ethnic music label, Ocora. A producer named Claude Sevac Ekian, heard the record, probably get his hands on the original masters and recorded in a French studio a new orchestration of the track with the help of a guy named Mike Stephenson, who played piano and guitar over it. It was then released as a 7" by Barclay and sold pretty well but the Burundian drummers never received any cent of it and probably never heard of the recording either. It can be seen as one of the first sample based song or just a plain theft of African culture by Western msuic sharks. Anyway, despite this sad story, Burundi Black is a very good, tribal, hypnotic, trippy and cinematic song.

Download => Burundi Steïphenson Black - Burundi Black

La Guêpe - Volume 3 (Pulp Flavor Recordings - 1999)

This volume of La Guêpe is dedicated to library music inspired by Brazilian MPB. Bossa, samba and tropilcalism infuse each track of this wonderful compilation. But dont't expect any covers or pastiche here. If the core artists are French , a few artists are in fact real Brazilans(MPB4, Teca & Ricardo) or are ailing from Spain (Dolores) or Italy ( G&M Di Angelis). Each give his own interpretation of MPB, mixing Brazilan sounds with pop and weird electronica, which is in fact just all what good library music is about. Another wonderful job made by the Pulp Flavor/Dare-Dare/Vadim music guys.

 Download => La Guêpe - Volume 3

Philippe Sarde - Flic Ou Voyou (MCA - 1979) / Le Guignolo (MCA - 1980)

Jean-Paul Belmondo... Nobody knows him outside French boundaries but the guy used to be French most popular actor, specialized in action movies and comedies that met a huge success throughout the 70's and 80's and were largely played on French TV, especially the sunday evening. Everybody in France aged beyond their 30's grew up with that guy. The movies were not always good, even if Jean-Paul Belmondo has a few masterpieces in his huge filmography (for the details, go to his Wikipedia page: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Belmondo ). Flic Ou Voyou or Le Guignolo are definitely not among his best movies. I enjoyed them while a kid but watched them again recently and I must admit that those two action comedies didn't aged well. But the soundtracks stay absolutely relevant. Both were made by Philippe Sarde and are completely different. For Flic Ou Voyou, Philippe Sarde enroled not less than Chet Baker, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter and Billy Cobham for a jazz soundtrack. The first track, Flic Ou Voyou, is brilliant: it starts like a baroque music track then morphes into jazz. For Le Guignolo, Philippe Sarde made the choice of orchestrated music inspired by traditionnal French operetta. Both soundtracks were reedited as a double package by Universal in 2000. And it's always a huge pleasure to give away Universal music for free.

Download => Philippe Sarde - Flic Ou Voyou - Le Guignolo

Jack Arel - Les Jeunes Loups (Riviera - 1968)

Marcel Carné is one of French greatest filmmakers. In 1968, he realised Les Jeunes Loups mixing French classic literature (the characters are inspired by the writings of Balzac) and Nouvelle Cinema with the burgeoning flower power and sexual liberation movement. Released just before the revolution of may 1968, it was announcing the events to come. The shooting is known to have been a nightmare and Marcel Carné rejected his film when it was over, even refusing to assist to the preview. Sacked by critics, Les Jeunes Loups were a flop and were even never released as VHS or DVD. In fact, nobody has seen this movie. The soundtrack is much easier to get. It was signed by French library maestro, Jack Arel. He mixed deep soul and British Invasion influences with a cool French pop vibe full of killing hammond organ licks. The vocals are credited to Tuesday Jackson, aka French MOR singer Nicole Croisille.

 Download => Jack Arel - Les Jeunes Loups

La Guêpe - Volume 2 (Pulp Flavor Recordings - 1999)

This excellent compilation gathers 17 French library tracks recorded during the 70'sunder the influence of soul, jazz and funk. Breaks heads will consequently find plenty to sample in that groovy banquet. among Roger Roger, Jacky Giordano, Bernard Estardy, Janko Nilovic or even Philippe Sarde works. The tracklisting is a who's who of French library maestro. There are some curiosities as well, like my personnal favorite, Afro-Disiac, an hypnotic afro track made by Uele Kalabubu & Sa Tribu and that can be found on the LP Afroground, a pretty rare but good piece of wax I'll probably post one day. Pulp Flavor Recordings was created by the same guys that were later behind the excellent labels Dare -Dare and Vadim Music that closed last spring. A pretty damn shame if you ask me. So, one of your only last chance to get your dusty hands on their music if you don't want to dig is on this blog.

 Download => La Guêpe - Volume 2

Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky - Vocal Impressions (Montparnasse 2000 - 1971)

To start that new season of first choice musical nuggets from my record collection, there's is nothing better than this nice Janko Nilovic library LP, recorded for Montparnasse 2000 in 1971. If you speak French and want to learn more about Janko Nilovic, I advise you to read this interview realised in 2004 for the website Scopia: http://scopia.perso.neuf.fr/portrait_nilovic.html That's where I learned that the vocals on this album were made by Janko himself and Graziella Nadrigal. The overall result, between West Coast pop, jazz and bossa is absolutely nice. I haven't posted the original LP but the Vadim Music 2006 CD reedition.

Download =>Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky - Vocal Impressions

Erotico... Nicaud (Barclay - 1970)

Yes the music sounds like what the cover looks like: erotic gallic pop, in the great Serge Gaisnbourg tradition. Philippe Nicaud was a second rank French actor but was pening texts full of sex and filth when it was about signing. In his case, it's more talkover comedy than actual signing in fact. The symphonic and pop orchestration, influenced by bossa nova and easy listening, was due to Gérard Gustin, a guy you can find behind a lot of French records of the time. Listening to this record is like watching a 70's porn: it's fun, fresh, liberating and makes you believe that something is missing today when it comes about the graphic representation of sexual intercourses between consenting adults. Erotico... Nicaud had the reputation to be a hard to find must-have UFO among record collectors. Vadim Music reedited it in 2009 and it was a brilliant idea. Enjoy, you perverts... It's DSK favorite record, I heard.

 Download => Erotico... Nicaud

Jean-Michel Jarre - Les Granges Brûlées (Dreyfus - 1973)

Les Granges Brûlées is a 1973 movie by Jean Chapot with some of the best French actors of the era, Alain Delon and Simone Signoret. It is the story of a judge (Alain Delon) who is investigating the murder of a young girl in the French country. Her body is discovered near a farm run by a strong woman, Simone Signoret and quickly the judge suspects a member of the family being the murderer.  Jean Chapot and Alain Delon didn't get well together and quickly the movie was finished by the star himself without Jean Chapot who had left the set. The music is the first record released by French king of keyboards, Jean-Michel Jarre. Jean-Michel Jarre is the son of French soundtrack composer Maurice Jarre so it must have been a real challenge for him to dare releasing a soundtrack. Jean-Michel Jarre only used keyboards for the soundtrack, making proto electronica. Jean-Michel Jarre then mixed his electronic song with pop FM and became a billionaire. But this another story and Les Granges Brûlées is still a landmark in electronic music history.

 Download => Jean-Michel Jarre - Les Granges Brûlées

Montparnasse 2000 Classics (Pulp Flavor Recordings - 2003)

Guys at Pulp Flavor (aka Dare Dare , aka Vadim Music) gathered 14 nuggets from famous French library label Montparnasse 2000. You probably already know that the term library in the case of Montparnasse 2000 was synonymous of scorching tunes, that give you plenty of occasions to sample a breaks or rock any party. Every single song is a sure winner and make of Montparnasse 2000 Classics a must-have, the time you can find and collect the complete albums. I still have a personnal little preference that goes for the last track, Xenos Cosmos, a psyche jazzy orchestral infectious number by Janko Nilovic.

 Download => Montparnasse 2000 Classics

Resonance - Moto Rock b/w Safari Love (Sirocco - 1974)

I found this Resonance 45 RPM yesterday on a secondhand market for 50 cents and despite the cover was missing, it was definitely a good deal. Both titles are credited to Bacson which is in fact a duo composed of Pierre Bachelet and Mat Camison. They released several singles and one album under the Resonance moniker and all are favorites of any decent eurogroove digger. Moto Rock is a surf track with loud moto engines noises on it, trying to reproduce the atmosphere of a racing field. The real scorcher is the side B, Safari Love, an infectious tribal funk piece, charged with filth and based on percussions, animal samples, African traditional vocals and a funky guitar. 

 Download => Resonance - Moto Rock b/w Safari Love

Dingo! - Sexopolized by DJ BNX (Pulp Flavor - 2001)

Pulp Flavor, Dare Dare and Vadim Music are the different names of the same label. Based in Grenoble, it is (was?) one of the best reedition label I know, the French equivalent to Finders Keepers. They recently destocked all their records and their web site is under  maintenance since one month and I don't know if they didn't go bankrupted, which would be a damn shame. Anyway, Dingo! is a French pop and library music compilation made by DJ BNX from Bordeaux that deserves all due praises. If some big names are present here (Zozoi by France Gall, High Tide by library king Jack Arel, Francis Lai with Number One), all the other titles are rare and were unknown to my ears. They all have in common to be brilliant and original. If you already have exhausted the US, British, Jamaican, Brazilian and African music scenes, try to explore the French one, there are plenty of nice things and scorching breaks (listen to Je Veux Te Dire Une Chanson by Angelillo & Hamel for example) to discover. 

 Download => Dingo!

La Formule Du Baron (CBS - 1969)

 All right all right, this one is not a that much hidden French deviant groove gem. It has been already pretty much blogged about and is famous all around the world among beat diggers, break fanatics, rare groove connoisseurs, euro groove fanatics. Bernard Estardy, to compose it, used his studio as a proper instrument and it's probably while La Formule Du Baron sounds that much unbelievably cool, still up to date and good. Some would still today sell a testicule or a kidney for that sound and that level of inspiration. The funniest thing is that Bernard Estardy, seconded here by Etienne Roda Gil, is well known to have churn out and produced thousands of cheesy pop songs for French worst and most famous singers. Nearly 99% of his work is absolute unlistenable garbage (the guy is well known to be featured on literaly hundreds records) while  the 1% left is pure genius. So enjoy his genius side and let's forget all the rest. In fact, The reputation of La Formule Du Baron is so high that even if it has been often reedited, this record is still complicated to find for a decent price whether on CD or vinyl. 

Download => La Formule Du Baron

Dou Da Dou - The Unlimited French Lostcatalogue (Vadim Music - 2005)

Vadim Music is a nice label located in the French Alps, near Grenoble, and specialized in the reedition of French pop, pysche, library, soundtracks or jazzy nuggets. Dou Da Dou is an excellent compilation of rare singles by the likes of France Gall, Jack Ary, François de Roubaix or Demis Roussos. Some of those names might afraid people familiar with French music, because they quickly fell into mainstream mediocrity but Vadim guys exhumed pretty intersting sides of their work. France Gall song, Zoïzoï, stays her most sought-after recording while Demis Roussos' A Travers Montmartre, penned with Stelios Valvianos, could be featured on any blaxploitation soundtrack. Very catchy, sexy and amazing. One of my favorite compilation.

Download => Dou Da Dou

Francis Lai - Le Voyou (United Artists - 1970)

Francis Lai never made among break diggers favorite French soundtracks composers. He's more a specialist of lush orchestratal music, with a sometimes tendency for cheesy melodies (ie Love Story). Anyway, among his huge discography, some nuggets can be found, like this 7" that serves as soundtrack to Claude Lelouch 1970 thriller, Le Voyou. The first track, Ballet du Voyou starts with a flamenco like guitar and then morphs into an orchestral pop number with a strong bassline and nice breaks. La Peur Du Voyou is a march that easily stands among the best Italian OST of the time. On side two, you've got the weel kown instrumental song, called Le Voyou,  and then Le Voyou En Action, the kind of track you expect to find on a 70's French soundtrack. Essential work.

Download => Francis Lai - Le Voyou

Jean-Claude Vannier - Electro Rapide (Finders Keepers - 2011)

You lucky people: I just have decided to post another Jean-Claude Vannier hidden gem. Finders Keepers connoisseurs gathered 14 nuggets made for library records, French TV (kids programs mainly) or even previously unreleased in the 60's and 70's. Beyond pop, classical music or jazz, Vannier finds here often his inspiration in traditional Northern Africa music as well. Brilliant work from the beginning to the end and I really regret it's only 25 minutes long, with the majority of the tracks lasting less than 2 minutes. This record is not that much avalaible on the internet so nuff' said, just listen to it and if you like it, buy it, Finders Keepers, a label going through hard times since the loss of its stock since last summer PIAS warehouse fire, largely deserves it.

Download => Jean-Claude Vannier - Electro Rapide

Jean-Claude Vannier - L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches (Suzelle - 1972)

In an april 1972 morning, Jean-Claude Vannier was listening with his friend Serge Gainsbourg the instrumental album he had just written and that still had no name. He had already used a track for a Yves Saint Laurent fashion show in 1971 but didn't really know what to do with the rest. He let the tapes to Gainsbourg for the night and in the morning Serge had imagined a fantastic story upon his music: L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches, which can be translated as the flies murderer child. The project didn't go any further and, despite an LP was released in 1972, Jean-Claude Vannier fans had to wait 20 years to see those tracks at least get a proper release. It was really worth the wait: Jean-Claude Vannier composed 11 little trippy psychedelic masterpieces that easily stands next to his best collaborations with Serge gainsbourg (L'Histoire De Melody Nelson).

Download => Jean-Claude Vannier - L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches

Raymond Lefèvre - Jo (1971)/Les Grandes Vacances (1967) (Play-Time/FGL - 2011)

Raymond Lefèvre is probably not the best known of French soundtracks composers but when you consider the work he did for this two comedies, Jo and Les Grandes Vacances, he clearly deserves his place among the greatest composers, the Lai, Goraguer, Jarre, Magne, or de Roubaix. We can clearly thank Play-Time/FGL for this excellent reedition. Jo and Les Grandes Vacances soundtracks never got a proper release even if both movies have often been played on French television channels. Jo is a dark comedy but the music could have easily been made by Lalo Schiffrin for a thriller. Les Grandes Vacances music is largely influenced by British Invasion pop music of the time and each track is a reorchestration of the same melody in various styles, between Burt Bacharach and Henri Mancini. As bonus track, you can find the themes of two other movies made by Raymond Lefèvre for the same director, Jean Girault, La Maison De Campagne and Un Drôle De Colonel.

Download => Raymond Lefèvre - Jo/Les Grandes Vacances

François Valéry - Joy (Instrumental) b/w Joy (Vocal) (WEA - 1983)

When producers saw the money Just Jaeckin racked with Emmanuelle and Histoire d'O, they started to produce erotic movies that could be distributed in theaters without being rated X. Joy is the cinematographic adaptation of the novel of the same name and made the rich hours of French late night TV programs in the 90's. At that time, there was no You Porn and those late night diffusions were the closest thing you could get your eyes on explicit sex scenes. This time, the music was not made by Pierre Bachelet but by François Valéry, who is as well an awfull French singer but succeded to make a nice little erotic soundtrack. The Joy instrumental title theme is a synthetic ballad with heavy drums and strings. The vocal version tries its best to sound erotic. Defintely not a masterpiece but a good try.

Download => François Valéry - Joy (Instrumental) b/w Joy (Vocal)

Michel Bernholc - Les Bronzés (Trinacra - 1978)/Pierre Bachelet - Les Bronzés Font Du Ski (Trinacra - 1979)

This double CD holds the soundtrack to two of the most popular French comedies of the 70's. Every French people you will meet anywhere in the world knows by heart the text of those two really funny films. Making fun of French people in vacations (in Africa in the first movie and in the Alps in the second ones), spectators found they represented them very well and the characters featured are now part of French popular culture. The music of Les Bronzés was composed by Michel Bernholc and is  mixing exotica, folk, disco funk and melancolic electronica. The theme music, Sea, Sex And Sun was allegedly composed in five minutes by French master Serge Gaisnbourg himself. Pierre Bachelet was trying to make a living with erotic soundtracks (Emmanuelle, Histoire D'O) when he was called to make the music of the second adventures of Les Bronzés, Les Bronzés Font Du Ski. You will go for track number 5, a nice little piece of electronic funk clearly inspired by Moroder.

Download => Michel Bernholc - Les Bronzés 
Download => Pierre Bachelet - Les Bronzés Font Du Ski

Janko Nilovic - Soul Impressions (Editions Montparnasse 2000 - 1975)

Soul Impressions is a very good library funk record made by library maestro Janko Nilovic who proves that French could funk as well. Janko Nilovic add just his personnal touch, mixing what you can expect from a funk library record (plenty of wah-wah riffs, flutes, nices breaks) with easy-listening or jazz. We can be thankful to Vadim Music for having reeissued this year this hidden gem. It was just impossible to buy it on vinyl without saling an eye or a kidney to Chinese if you were lucky enough to find an original version in good conditions. Soul Impressions has probably been posted already on a lot of blogs but it's just the kind of record difficult to keep for yourself.

Download => Janko Nilovic - Soul Impressions